Tag: legal tampering period

NFL’s legal tampering period before free agency, explained

The legal tampering period, which was added by the NFL a decade ago, is underway.

The NFL will begin its new league year on Wednesday, and with that will come the beginning of free agency. Contracts will expire and a flood of players will be on the open market.

But the action really gets started Monday when the NFL’s “legal tampering period” begins at 12 p.m. ET.

Why does the legal tampering period exist?

The NFL wants to turn every single aspect of their calendar into spectacle. Even the NFL Scouting Combine has thousands of fans in attendance after decades of being held in front of scouts, coaches, and executives only.

Turning free agency into a primetime event is difficult, though.

According to NFL rules, teams aren’t permitted to contact another club’s players or coaches. That’s considered “tampering” and can results in fines or even a loss of draft picks. But that previously meant that teams couldn’t contact prospective free agents until the new league year started.

That caused many of the blockbuster deals of yesteryear to take days to come together.

So the league tweaked the rules in 2013 to give teams 52 hours to begin contacting soon-to-be free agents and begin working out offers and negotiations. By the time free agency actually begins on Wednesday afternoon, many of the biggest deals of the offseason will already be agreed upon and need only a signature on the dotted line.

Last year, the Jaguars were able to announce deals with Christian Kirk, Foye Oluokun, Brandon Scherff, Evan Engram, Zay Jones, and Folorunso Fatukasi on the day free agency began.

What’s allowed and what’s still illegal?

While negotiations will begin Monday, teams can’t actually contact the players themselves. During the two-day period, “all aspects of an NFL player contract” can be discussed with a certified player agent.

That also means no visits to team facilities until free agency actually begins Wednesday.

Also, while teams will undoubtedly reach agreements with players ahead of the start of free agency, those deals can’t be announced until they’re made official Wednesday.

Which Jaguars are set to become free agents?

Impending free agents from Jacksonville include offensive tackle Jawaan Taylor, pass rusher Arden Key, wide receiver Marvin Jones Jr., pass rusher Dawuane Smoot, safety Andrew “Dewey” Wingard, cornerback Tre Herndon, and tight ends Chris Manhertz and Dan Arnold.

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Bobby Wagner ranked NFL’s 5th-best remaining free agent

Wherever Wagner signs, the way he was released is a black eye for this organization, which seems to have fallen out with just about every other star player to come along over the last 10 years.

Former Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner may have lost a step, but he’s still one of the game’s top defenders. After the first day of the legal tampering period, Wagner remains unsigned. Heading into today’s action, he has been ranked the fifth-best free agent still on the market by Doug Farrar and Mark Schofield at Touchdown Wire.

Wagner was unceremoniously released by Seattle eight days ago, the same day the team agreed to trade Russell Wilson to the Broncos. Combined with the unpopular Wilson deal, cutting Wagner without even telling him has rubbed a whole lot of fans the wrong way.

Several teams have been reported to have interest in Wagner, including the Cowboys and all three of the Seahawks’ division rivals. Rejoining Dan Quinn in Dallas would make for a nice story, but obviously the team that gives Wagner the best chance at winning a second Super Bowl ring is the LA Rams, who could also use an off-ball linebacker like Wagner – certainly more than the 49ers – who have the brilliant Fred Warner – and the Cardinals – who have the rising Isaiah Simmons.

Wherever Wagner signs, the way he was released is a black eye for this organization, which seems to have fallen out with just about every other star player to come along over the last 10 years. It’s tough to blame them for the way it went down with Richard Sherman and to a lesser extent Earl Thomas. It’s also understandable to trade Russell Wilson now before he loses value. However, Pete Carroll and John Schneider’s treatment of Wagner is the ugliest episode yet – highlighted by the fact that Wagner has never remotely done anything to embarrass the team either on or off the field. He deserved far better than being shoved out the door without any warning on the same day as Wilson like an afterthought.

Anyway, back to the 2022 free agent class… yesterday the Seahawks stuck to re-signing their own players, including safety Quandre Diggs and defensive tackle Al Woods, indicating a total rebuild is not underway.

The team has plenty of cash to make a splash signing at some point in the next few days, though. The four players ranked ahead of Wagner on Touchdown Wire’s list are all worth a look: Rams EDGE Von Miller, Chiefs DB Tyrann Mathieu, Saints LT Terron Armstead and Cardinals EDGE Chandler Jones would all make a real impact for Seattle.

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Legal tampering window means phone could start ringing for 21 Cowboys

Monday kicks off a 52-hour period when NFL clubs may begin negotiating with other free agents; some fan favorites could be leaving Dallas.

The legal tampering window is about to open. With the new league year about to officially begin on Wednesday afternoon, the league lets teams gets a head-start on the free agency frenzy by allowing a 52-hour chunk of time prior to that when front offices can reach out to unrestricted free agents to begin preliminary negotiations to bring them aboard.

Theoretically, the phones of at least some Cowboys players are about to start blowing up. The reality is, though, that there have almost certainly been private discussions taking place for some time.

Unrestricted free agents can legally talk through terms with new teams starting around midday on Monday. Contracts can be agreed upon conversationally, but nothing can be signed until the start of the league year on Wednesday.

The Cowboys have 17 players who will become free agents when the clock strikes 11 a.m. in Dallas:

  • DT Eli Ankou
  • CB Chidobe Awuzie
  • TE Blake Bell
  • WR Noah Brown
  • DL Tyrone Crawford
  • QB Andy Dalton
  • OT Cameron Erving
  • CB C.J. Goodwin
  • LS L.P. Ladouceur
  • LB Sean Lee
  • CB Jourdan Lewis
  • C Joe Looney
  • LB Justin March
  • OT Jordan Mills
  • DE Aldon Smith
  • LB Joe Thomas
  • S Xavier Woods

Quarterback Dak Prescott was taken off this list when he signed his record-breaking contract last week. Fullback Jamize Olawale was released the same day.

Restricted free agents and exclusive-rights free agents may negotiate with the teams currently holding their rights. If they’re not tendered by 3:59 Eastern on Wednesday afternoon, they become unrestricted and can sign with any other club. For the Cowboys, those players- all free agents of the “restricted” variety- include:

  • OT Greg Senat
  • WR Malik Turner
  • WR Cedrick Wilson
  • DT Antwaun Woods

Exclusive-rights free agent defensive end Ron’Dell Carter was re-signed by Dallas last week.

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NFL’s legal tampering period set to begin

A big step in the offseason begins Monday.

After somewhat of a dead period, the NFL will bring about plenty of news with the legal tampering period set to begin Monday.

At noon, teams can contact the representation of an unrestricted free agent set to hit the market. They can discuss “all aspects of an NFL player contract” but cannot execute a contract until the new league year begins on Wednesday.

Teams can only talk to unrestricted free agents. The Colts have roughly 19 players set to hit free agency, with the majority of them being unrestricted. Players like Mo Alie-Cox and George Odum cannot be approached by other teams just yet because they are restricted free agents. The Colts have yet to extend an offer sheet to either player.

The Colts have plenty of salary-cap space to work with during free agency with a few big needs to address. How active they will be isn’t clear but it’s a good bet that they will find value and plug holes where they see fit rather than splurging as some are predicting.

There are some interesting names on the market for the Colts this offseason and they can finally begin approaching players at noon on Monday.

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Report: Cowboys already shopping for Byron Jones replacement

The Cowboys are among the teams showing interest in ex-Bronco CB Chris Harris after letting Byron Jones hit the market in free agency.

The noon bells chimed at the league’s New York offices on Monday, signalling the official end of many players’ contracts. With a single clock tick, any and all interested teams were instantly within their rights to reach out to free agents from other organizations to begin wooing them to new cities.

Many Cowboys fans had held out hope that the front office would see the importance of retaining a guy like Pro Bowl cornerback Byron Jones and write the last-minute check that made it binding. But that ship has sailed, and the Cowboys appear to be ready for a change at the position.

ESPN’s Josina Anderson is reporting that the club may already have their eye on Jones’s replacement.

Harris finds himself in the same boat as Jones, suddenly without an employer after his own nine-year stint with the Broncos ended on Monday. The 30-year-old Harris was an undrafted free agent out of Kansas in 2011 and has been to four Pro Bowls. He has 20 interceptions, six forced fumbles, and four defensive touchdowns on his pro resume.

He’s shorter and older than Jones, but is he cheaper? And by how much? And does he have enough left in the tank to be a viable replacement for Jones? Those are the questions the Cowboys are almost certainly weighing right now.

Adding to the intrigue is this. Over the weekend, Harris followed some new accounts on Instagram. Was he just plucking guys from around the league… or building bridges early with a soon-to-be-teammate?

Dallas won’t be the only team kicking the tires on Harris. In fact, several of the same teams who are calling Byron Jones this week are also doing comparison-shopping on Harris, according to Anderson.

It’s all just talk for now. Monday kick-started the league’s recognized legal tampering period, but teams cannot actually ink a new deal with free agents until Wednesday. Make no mistake, though, the NFL has officially thrown open the doors to its annual shopping spree.

Check out our 2020 Offseason Manifesto, where we replace Jones with our own candidate, as well as sign free agents across both the offense and defense.

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Seahawks showing interest in wide receiver Phillip Dorsett

The Seattle Seahawks need more depth at wide receiver, and free agent Phillip Dorsett could be a nice, low-cost fit.

The Seattle Seahawks are known for doing their due diligence on nearly every possible free agent or trade option on the market, especially at key positions of need.

That’s why it is no surprise to hear their name mentioned among the many interested in impending free agent wide receiver Phillip Dorsett.

Dorsett was a first round pick in 2015 by the Colts, where he spent two seasons before getting traded to the Patriots in exchange for Jacoby Brissett.

Dorsett had one of his best seasons last year in New England, recording 29 receptions for 397 yards and five touchdowns, serving as a depth option for Tom Brady.

That’s likely what he’d be competing for in Seattle. With Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf locked into the top two roles, Dorsett would compete with David Moore and Malik Turner for targets, as well as whomever else the Seahawks bring into camp via the draft or free agency.

Dorsett would be a low-cost option to bring into camp, and his recent performance would likely make him a front runner for a valuable role on this team next year – if Seattle is able to bring him in.

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Seahawks have interest in free agent safety Damarious Randall

The Seattle Seahawks are looking for more depth in the secondary, and for competition for Ugo Amadi at the nickel cornerback position.

The legal tampering period of the NFL’s free agency has begun, and the Seattle Seahawks are reportedly interested in free agent defensive back Damarious Randall, according to ESPN’s Josina Anderson.

Randall, 27, spent the last two seasons as the starting free safety for the Browns, recording 146 combined tackles, 15 passes defended and four interceptions in 26 starts.

However, prior to that Randall was a versatile defensive back who spent time at both the outside corner and nickel corner spots while with the Packers, who originally drafted him in the first round of the 2015 draft.

The Seahawks would likely move Randall around in training camp, viewing him as a potential backup safety (he’s unlikely to unseat Quandre Diggs or Bradley McDougald) and potential competition for Tre Flowers and Ugo Amadi at right corner and nickel, respectively.

Randall has already drawn interest from multiple teams, so there’s no guarantee he ends up in the Emerald City, but he’d be a nice, versatile depth option for coach Pete Carroll to experiment with in training camp.

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Report: Teddy Bridgewater could re-sign with the Saints for 2020 season

New Orleans Saints backup quarterback Teddy Bridgewater is a pending free agent, but he is not ruling out a contract extension with his team

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With NFL free agency set to kick off during the start of Monday’s legal tampering period, it’s felt like a safe bet that New Orleans Saints backup quarterback Teddy Bridgewater would leave for a new team. Bridgewater impressed in his five starts during the 2019 season in relief of the injured Drew Brees, winning every game he started and protecting the football well.

So far, common thought has been that Bridgewater will be rewarded with an opportunity to become the face of another franchise, with Brees expected to return in 2020. But ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports that Bridgewater is not ruling out any options, including a reunion with the Saints. Even if doing that would mean a significant drop in salary based off the going rate for starting quarterbacks; Ryan Tannehill just signed an extension averaging $29.5 million per year with the Tennessee Titans.

If there is a scarcity of offers, however, a return to the Saints would make plenty of sense for Bridgewater. He has shown he can win within the structure of the Saints offense, and would be a more-proven and younger heir-apparent for Brees than the soon-to-be 30 Taysom Hill.

So if teams like the Chicago Bears are determined to go down with a sinking ship like Mitchell Trubisky, the best move for Bridgewater would be another year as the backup in New Orleans. Bridgewater has made it clear that he wants to start in the NFL, not be a band-aid for a tanking team or a lame duck waiting to be displaced by a rookie.

With the legal tampering period — when Bridgewater and every other free agent can entertain offers from other teams — just hours away, keep a close eye on this space for further developments.

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